


Yuri On Flight

by otapocalypse



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragonriders AU, Heavily based off of Temeraire, M/M, Shapeshifting, Swords probably, Vanity, Violence, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 11:51:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10162472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otapocalypse/pseuds/otapocalypse
Summary: The misadventures of a dragon and his smug, ridiculous, insufferable rider.





	

_Suffocation. That was the one thing on the boy’s mind as he was led, a firm hand on his back, deeper down into the mountain, where a cavern had been hollowed out ages ago, and where magma still flowed like water. It was too hot, too stuffy here, nothing like the blistery, cold mountains outside, and the boy tugged at his thick coat uncomfortably._

_His displeasure was forgotten, however, as his eyes caught the large golden egg sitting well apart from the others; the smaller, duller. Less alive. He had eyes only for the gold as he stepped forward, the awkward struggling with his coat suddenly turning into one fluid sweep of the arm as he shed it off, and let it drop on the red ground. He may have been scolded for it on a less important occasion._

_As he got closer, he realized the egg was tilting, rocking back and forth slightly every few seconds. Then, it would pause, as if frustrated, and let out a few tiny clacks and squeaks. The dragon. His dragon. It was really here. It was time._

_A ring of the boy’s elders gathered around closely; one dark-haired child only older than him by a few years standing by and holding a thick, black collar in his hands. “Will he really have to wear that?” Young JJ had asked just a few days earlier, feeling rather blue at the thought of his dragon being so restricted. “If he doesn’t take to it,” Yuuri had explained, pushing his glasses up farther along the bridge of his nose, “He will have to be sent away. He’ll never be tamed.”_

_The Japanese rider had then gone on to add that they still didn’t know the dragon’s sex, but JJ was sure he’d be chosen by a male. A male golden dragon. The thought had overwhelmed him with glee at the time, but now only made him sweat. A proud silver dragon paced at the edge of the room, tail lashing. Victor’s blue eyes, however, never left the egg._

_All the doubts that he’d had suddenly flooded back to JJ as the egg gave its first crack! and he stopped dead, worry knitting his brows together. The dragon didn’t have to choose him. It didn’t have to choose anyone. If it was unimpressed with everyone in the room, they’d have a hungry, untamed hatchling on their hands. As the fear piled in his gut, JJ almost froze. There was no way the hatchling would want someone like him._

_A low, reassuring grumble from Victor pushed him forward again as another crack sounded, then another, and a chip fell from the egg’s gold surface. It shook, trembled, and JJ placed his palm flat on the searing shell. It went still for just a moment, then JJ leaped back as it split open, then the two halves fell aside, fluid leaking onto the floor, some of it shining grossly on JJ’s boots._

_He didn’t notice, however. His eyes were locked on the hatchling. It was curled in on itself, intelligent green eyes taking everything in for the first time as its scales steamed, more fluids dripping from them and then evaporating in the heat of the room. The male unfurled his long wings, which were a deep, pink, fleshy color, contrasting with the rest of him, then his tail, stretching to a spindly length. Small bumps that would later grow into large spines ran down his back, and a frill extending from behind his ears down to his chin fanned out as he scented the room._

_JJ was motionless as the creature sprawled his way up to the boy, then thrust its muzzle into his face, seemingly peering into his soul, though JJ knew there was no way for any living thing to do that. After what seemed like an eternity, the dragon let out a huff, its breath even hotter than the surrounding air, and said,_

_“So? What will you call me?”_

_It was a moment before he could respond, but JJ spoke with confidence when he answered._

_“Yuratchka.” Across the room, Victor lifted his head._

_“Your name will be Yuri.”_

* * *

“You’ve got to hold still while I look at it. It was a nasty wind we ran into,” JJ murmured as he examined the gold dragon’s wing, gently twisting it this way and that to test the mobility. Yuri fidgeted while he did so, feeling little discomfort other than boredom and irritation.

“It’s fine, idiot, it’s not like I’m some fragile little hatchling,” Yuri snorted back, trying once more to tug his wing away. His frill stood on end as a shadow blocked the entrance to his cave and the howling of the wind was momentarily muffled as Viktor squeezed inside, Yuuri riding on his back.

Remembering the pair saving his tail when he’d been caught floundering in the sudden mountain blizzard, he glared hotly before turning away.

“Are you here to pity me some more?”

“Of course not,” Yuuri answered, dismounting at the same time as Viktor said,

“Had to make sure our youngest was still alive.”

Yuri let out a quiet hiss at his elder, who stepped closer and lightly ran his snout over the other’s spine, soothing him and causing him to blink his large, glassy eyes for a few seconds as he fought off a sudden wave of exhaustion.

“Leo was going to bring you both your dinners if you don’t feel up to making it to the mess-”

“Of course we can make it,” Yuri snorted, interrupting as he stood and shook himself.

“Will you have some patience, chaton?” JJ placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder, who reluctantly glared at him and then settled down again. “We’d be grateful,” he continued, not looking up from his examination.

“You are like a mother hen,” Yuri grumbled.

“Does this hurt?” JJ pressed the heel of his hand into Yuri’s shoulder, which gave a loud crack in protest at the touch. Yuri shuddered, then shook his head.

“No, it feels fine, I told you.”

“Yuuri,” Viktor chirped, bumping his rider with his snout. “Let’s go eat together!”

“If you’re okay, Yuri…” Yuuri began, then stopped as he saw the snarl on the gold dragon’s face.

“Heh, heh.. Okay. You know where to find us if you need anything.”

With that, Viktor practically tossed Yuuri onto his back and the two made their way back out into the cold, the wind picking up with each second and the snow beginning to pile up. At a touch, Viktor crouched and then leapt up into the air, massive wings beating against the wind and carrying them both towards the great hall, already brightly lit with warm light.

Once they landed and Yuuri dismounted, Viktor shifted to his human form, immediately commenting on how much colder it was, much to Yuuri’s amusement. The two made their way inside to where several of the other riders and their dragons were seated and dining already; Minami and Lee were side by side, discussing how they missed the warmth down south while their riders attempted to reassure them the weather wasn’t always so unpredictable.

Exchanging a look with Yuuri, Viktor smiled and then grabbed his hand, the two walking up to the line together. They weren’t a foot from their destination when Yakov’s loud voice called from outside.

“Yuuri! Viktor! Come at once, damn you, you must go fetch Yuuko!”

“Yuuko?” Viktor mused aloud. Yuuri’s eyes widened as he continued. “But that would mean-”

“Mila’s egg is hatching; Yuuko must be there! Get her and bring her to the baths or I’ll toss you both over the mountain!” The drake bellowed, and then there were several heavy thuds from outside as he bounded away.

Viktor sighed. “So much for a nice, peaceful meal together.”

Yuuri smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. “We may still make it. Let’s go.”

Back out into the cold they rushed, Yuuri hopping onto his place between Victor’s shoulders even as the dragon shifted, and the two taking off, racing up the side of the mountain and back to the caves, Yuri’s curious glance following them as they flew by.

The cold stung Yuuri’s face as they rose through the air, each quivering every now and then to shake off what snow managed to cling to them mid-flight. Finally they reached Yuuko’s room, perched almost at the very peak of the mountain, and Viktor roared to bring her scrambling out, half-dressed for the weather like it was.

Viktor and Yuuri seemed to share the same thought.

“Viktor, take her around. I will see you later tonight I hope.”

“What is going on?!” Yuuko shouted, knee-deep in snow.

“Mila is hatching,” Yuuri explained. At her widened eyes and opened mouth, he shouted above the wind, guiding her, “There’s no time! You’ll be protected from the cold just behind Viktor’s neck, where I was sitting. Good luck!”

Viktor was off even before Yuuko was settled, but Yuuri caught a flash of determination in her brown eyes as they began their descent, then vanished into the blankness of the blizzard. Yuuri stood for a moment more, letting the cold seep into his hands and feet and nose, then turned and made his way inside, where he stripped off his outer riding gear and beat his hands against his thighs until they stung harshly; it was better than losing his fingers.

A painful, damp feeling in his thighs made him reluctantly look down, to where his slacks were dark with blood. Groaning, he thought to himself to never ride so roughly in a storm again without a saddle. 

Limping now that his attention had been drawn to the wound, he made his way to the water basin in the bathroom and stripped the rest of his clothes, gently washing the raw, bloody skin on his legs with warm water.

Once that was done he washed the blood from his gear the best he could and tugged it all back on, wincing whenever the fabric rubbed against the sore spots on his legs.With nothing to do now but wait, he sat on the cot in the corner of the room and stared outside, watching the snowfall.

Inside Yuri’s cave, he and JJ had by now heard the news from a few passing couriers, and, forbidden from attending themselves, they were curled up together, JJ leaning back on Yuri’s foreleg as they speculated on what the new addition would be like.

“Her egg is red. I bet she’s even harder to handle than you,” JJ teased, nudging Yuri’s shoulder. 

“It wasn’t a fiery red though.” Yuri countered, not bothering to deny he had been a troublemaker in his past. “It was more subdued, or what I glimpsed of it. It had shades of violet in it.”

“You were inside the e-”

“And anyway, egg and scale color do not correspond with temperament, that’s a bloody myth.” Yuri continued. “Like silver dragons being wise,” he grumbled to himself. 

JJ snickered at this, and reached up to dig his fingers underneath the scales on Yuri’s neck, scratching gently. A reluctant, stuttering rumble of a purr started up beneath the dragon’s skin.

“You really don’t like him, do you?”

“I do not like any of them.”

“If you’re really feeling up to it, we have some free time tomorrow. Would you like to go flying?” JJ laughed as Yuri turned, a pleading look in his eyes, all traces of grumpiness vanished.

* * *

Neither had said much that morning, both lost in their own thoughts as they drifted along through the clouds, Yuri grumbling unhappily whenever he accidentally flew through one. JJ didn’t tease him like he normally did, the chill getting to him but not enough to bring him out of his stupor. Yuri didn’t ask. He didn’t want to know.

“I’ve been thinking,” JJ suddenly said.

The tiniest of sighs left the drake. JJ took no notice.

“You remember Isabella?”

“The ugly bitch you brought home when you were drunk one evening.” Yuri replied. JJ frowned. “Yes, I remember her.”

“She and I have been spending a lot of time together-”

“That explains the perfume,” Yuri replied. He knew where this was going, known for quite some time actually, and frankly, he didn’t care. But he’d still resolved to make JJ suffer for it as much as he could. “I thought you’d been applying it to yourself.”

JJ let out a nervous chuckle, nothing like his usual laugh, holding nothing back. Yuri kept flying, saying nothing, pretending like he was satisfied with the conversation. He wasn’t; he wanted to know more, but he knew if he waited long enough, everything would come pouring out of JJ on its own. Eventually.

“I want to marry her.”

“Big surprise,” Yuri grumbled, furrowing the tips of his wings and dipping down for a moment, avoiding another cloud. “You’re completely obsessed with her, of course you want to marry her.” 

“No, I mean-” JJ stopped, sitting up. “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

“Okay.”

“I want to also ask for your blessing.”

The two dropped about ten feet as Yuri forgot to beat his wings. He coughed, snorting as he came back up. “My what!?”

“Your blessing. It would mean a lot, to both of us.”

“You don’t need my approval,” Yuri rolled his large eyes. “You’re your own man. Do what you want.”

“And you’re my dragon.” Unprompted warmth flooded through Yuri as JJ placed a palm on his shoulder. “If you don’t approve-” There was real strain in his voice, Yuri realized with a shock, “-I won’t do it.”

There was another long stretch of silence. Then, “Does she make you happy?”

JJ’s face stretched into a large grin, and before he answered Yuri scoffed in disgust. “Okay, okay, I get it. I can feel the love radiating off of you, it’s gross.” 

“So you’ll do it?”

“In front of everyone,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes. Then, fearfully, “How big is the wedding going to be..?” JJ whooped loudly and threw his arms around Yuri’s neck, earning an exasperated wiggle and a threat to fly straight into the side of the next mountain. Still, Yuri felt warmer at the thought of his rider being so happy. What kind of partner would he be to squash that?

* * *

The wedding, of course, was loud and flashy and crowded, even when outside and in his small human form Yuri felt claustrophobic as he weaved through the crowd, fending off hugs and handshakes and begrudgingly accepting compliments on the navy blue suit JJ had insisted on getting him. His rider had seemed to go out of his way to please Yuri in the months after their conversation, and as the wedding got closer Yuri eventually put a stop to all the gifts and extra food JJ snuck into his cave.

One thing he hadn’t taken for granted though was a delicate silver headpiece that, with a quick tug, could be adjusted to be worn in either of his forms. A large blue sapphire sat just above and between his eyes, framed by several smaller stones sporting the same deep, perfect blue. He loved it dearly, and wore it as often as possible, ignoring Yakov’s comments about JJ turning him into a gaudy freak of nature.

Since JJ had showed up with it, he’d often study the metalwork, finding amazingly tiny details like roses, dragon wings, and even his name shaped and etched into the silver. He couldn’t imagine how much it had cost, and didn’t dare to ask.

Even now, dashing around the wedding and helping with the final preparations, he had it fastened snugly in place, feeling a burst of smug pride at how it was almost as impressive as Isabella’s tiara. That was okay, though. Today was her day, not his.

He was jolted from his thoughts as he collided with Victor, and squirmed as he was swept into a tight hug. “Ah, Yuri, you clean up so nicely! The headpiece matches the suit so well, was that JJ’s doing-”

“Alright!” He gasped, shoving Victor back and running a hand through his hair. He could already tell he’d have to redo the braids several times today. “Thank you, but I’m seriously trying hard to survive today.” Yuuri was much more bearable, if a little sappy. Probably remembering his own wedding. 

The second time he was assaulted that day was by his own rider, who approached with a pale face and the deadest eyes Yuri had ever seen on a person. “I can’t believe this is happening. I don’t think I can do this, Yura,” he blubbered. Yuri dodged another hug. “Are you fucking serious?” He growled. “You love her. Buck up and stop being a fucking cliche!” But JJ was inconsolable, and after growling about his rider watching too many romance movies, Yuri shoved him rather unceremoniously over to Georgi and Emil.

“Deal with him, because I can’t.” And with that, he retreated. He couldn’t help hiding nearby though, just until he was sure the two bozos had actually managed to calm down his rider and get him back to his cocky, confident self, and then he was off once more.

Once the ceremony started, things went by in a blur. With a final, “Don’t cry,” to JJ, Yuri took his place near the stage and shifted, one claw hooked in the chain of the headpiece to keep it from slipping and earning several gasps as his gold scales caught the light and dazzled the 200 some people who weren’t used to being around dragons. He struggled not to roll his eyes at them.

Publicly giving his blessing only required a clear sign he approved; but he decided to take it a step further. As Isabella walked down the aisle and everyone stood, he bowed his head, spreading his wings as far as the space provided allowed, and heard more audible gasps. The only thing he felt, though, was the pure joy and pride radiating off of JJ. And as she stepped onto stage, he whispered a quiet prayer for her wellbeing, something no one else would ever hear, or ever know.


End file.
